1910–1997
Saint Teresa of Calcutta, 1910–1997
September 5
A little girl named Agnes lived in Albania. She was small, quiet, and shy. When she grew up, she became a nun. Her new name was Mother Teresa. She worked in India, far from her home. She cared for the poor and dying. She began a new group of sisters called the Missionaries of Charity. When people asked, “What can we do to help the people who are poor?” Mother Teresa told them to do their best for God right where they were. She told them to use their gifts of time, talent, and treasure to build God’s Kingdom. She said, “Do something beautiful for God.”
Mother Teresa spoke five languages. Her religious order provided hospitals, schools, and shelters for those who had leprosy. For her work she was awarded the Padmashari, or the “Order of the Lotus,” by the Indian government. She was also awarded the first ever Pope John XXIII Peace Prize, and in 1979 she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Discuss: How can you do something beautiful for God?
Activity
Something Beautiful
Visual/Spatial, Verbal/Linguistic
Share that Saint Teresa of Calcutta encouraged people to do something beautiful for God. Help your child to think of examples of what that could be. Point out that God has given each of us the talent to do something beautiful—whether it is being kind to someone who needs kindness or making something beautiful for others to enjoy.